The applicability of the information and communication technologies, especially mobile devices, to augmentative and alternative communication is relatively recent in Portugal. Their characteristics of universality and portability allow to access information, communicate through voice, image and writing, working, perform recreational activities and multiple others activities almost anywhere and any place. It also promotes skills development in people with special educational needs, like physical, cognitive and social skills, when using the appropriate adaptations and digital augmentative and alternative communication software or other applications adapted to their physical or sensory disabilities. The aim of this work is to reveal the state of the art about the use of information and communication technologies in the context of special educational and more specifically in augmentative and alternative communication in Portugal, supported on the literature review. We selected the Portal B-on – Online Knowledge Library, since it allows us to have a perspective of several databases repositories of scientific research. This literature review aim to analyze, summarize and interpret some studies carried out in Portugal that focus on the binomial: Information and Communications Technologies and children with Special Education Needs.

Nowadays society is demanding more and more smart healthcare services that allow monitoring patient status in a non-invasive way, anywhere and anytime. Thus, healthcare applications are currently facing important challenges guided by the u-health (ubiquitous health) and p-health (pervasive health) paradigms. New emerging technologies can be combined with other widely deployed ones to develop such next-generation healthcare systems. The main objective of this paper is to review and provide more details on the work presented in “LOBIN: E-Textile and Wireless-Sensor-Network-Based Platform for Healthcare Monitoring in Future Hospital Environments”, published in the IEEE Transactions on Information Technology in Biomedicine, as well as to extend and update the comparison with other similar systems. As a result, the paper discusses the main advantages and disadvantages of using different architectures and communications technologies to develop wearable systems for pervasive healthcare applications.

The information and communication
technology (ICT) is transforming interactions between
people, governments, and firms worldwide. In developing
countries, farmers receive updated crop prices and public
health officials monitor medical inventories by text
messages. Women are empowered to make decisions and access
new opportunities through online information. Entrepreneurs
obtain business licenses in a fraction of the standard time
by applying for them through municipal government web sites.
And in an increasingly integrated global economy, ICT
enables people to access and share knowledge and services
around the world. The first report, Information and
Communications for Development (IC4D) 2006: global trends
and policies, analyzed lessons on developing access to ICT,
examined the roles of the public and private sectors in this
process, and identified the benefits and challenges of
adopting and expanding ICT use in businesses. This second
report, IC4D 2009: extending reach and increasing impact,
takes a close look at mobile and broadband connectivity. It
analyzes the development impact of high-speed Internet
access in developing countries and provides policy options
for rolling out broadband networks and addressing the
opportunities and challenges of convergence between
telecommunications...

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are a potentially revolutionary means of empowering the poor. Realizing this potential will require investments that increase access to ICTs in remote low productivity areas and the development of innovative applications that cater to the needs of the poor and small firms. The costs of these kinds of investment have been decreasing rapidly, but still yield low short term private returns. The private sector cannot alone be expected to underwrite the costs of these developments. If Government does not support these public investments, economic disparities will rise, undermining social stability and future growth. Effective public sector action is required, to establish a regulatory and legal framework that enables the rise of a vibrant innovative competitive private telecommunications and ICT services sector, and to institute selective efficient and transparent public subsidies with high social payoff but low financial returns. This is needed most urgently precisely in developing country contexts where public institutions are often ineffective, corrupt and unaccountable. The challenge takes added significance in Indonesia, a country still recovering from severe economic and political crisis...

Information communications technologies
(ICTs) have helped to reduce geographical boundaries and
connect people across different countries, cities and
villages. The internet and mobile phone revolution have
enabled millions of people to engage in a global dialogue.
Cyber cafes are thriving businesses in the bustling cities
of Calcutta, Dakar and Rio and the remoter parts of rural
towns and villages such as Tanga, Mopti and Sally. The
Global Development Learning Network (GDLN) is a World
Bank-supported initiative that uses technology to promote
development through learning.

Knowledge is fast becoming a key factor
in economic and social development worldwide. Rapid
innovations in science, communications and computing
technologies are opening up new opportunities for countries
to harness knowledge and participate more fully in the
global economy. Developing countries that successfully make
the transition to the knowledge-based economy will have
unprecedented possibilities to become more competitive in
world markets and to participate in the global information
society. New technologies can also extend the benefits of
knowledge to all segments of society and help countries
close the gap in living standards among their citizens. This
book defines a knowledge-based economy as one where
knowledge is created, acquired, transmitted and used
effectively by enterprises, organizations, individuals and
communities. It does not focus narrowly on high-technology
industries or on information and communications
technologies, but rather presents a framework for analyzing
a range of policy options in education...

Access to information, and
communications technologies has become crucial to a
sustainable agenda of economic development, and poverty
reduction, and yet access remains concentrated in a few
regions and population groups, with the contours of this new
"digital divide" closely following, and
supplementing existing income, and economic divides.
However, technological innovations, economic pressures, and
regulatory reforms, are making access to information, and
communications technologies more affordable, and, providing
opportunities to close the digital divide. This discussion
paper outlines a number of policy, and regulatory measures,
including incentives to attract investors to high cost, or
challenging areas, that can be used under different
scenarios, to close the digital divide. While Bank Group
experience shows an increasing number of projects with
specific universal access components, this paper proposes
alternatives for Bank Group support for universal access
policies, through an appropriate mix of technical
assistance...

Further, governments are using
information and communication technologies (ICT) as tools to
reduce transaction costs and processing time, and increase
government revenues. Further, the potential to access public
services at home or at a local Internet kiosk empowers
citizens in rural areas, including women and minorities.
Access to relevant public information on rights and
benefits, inheritance and family laws, health care, and
housing can be provided through the Internet or mobile phone
which translates to easier access and less time than
traveling to or queuing up at government departments. The
Royal Government of Cambodia (the Government) has taken
various initiatives regarding the streamlining of ICTs in
administration functions and several core agencies have
invested or are planning on investing in information
systems, databases of various types, websites,
communications networks, etc. However, this figure will be
significantly higher when the cost for ICT components under
sector projects, such as under education...

The Government of Panama and the private
sector recognize the importance of information and
communications technology (ICT) as an enabler of national
development. This ICT sector policy note seeks to identify
opportunities and challenges for growth of the ICT sector in
Panama, particularly on rural access to broadband services
and on cybersecurity, and potential for spillover impacts
across other sectors. It provides a brief overview of the
ICT sector in Panama and outlines a series of strategic
actions and recommendations aimed at leveraging ICT as an
engine of growth by targeting connectivity infrastructure,
policies, regulation, e-Services, public data, and skills.
The report is organized as follows: section one presents ICT
sector in the economy. Section two deals with offer for
connectivity. Section three presents demand. Section four
describes the sector status from the cybersecurity point of
view. Based on these analyses, section five identifies
challenges that are hindering the growth of the industry,
and section six presents policy options to overcome them.
Finally...

Information and communication
technologies (ICT) for health or eHealth solutions hold
great potential for generating systemic efficiencies by
strengthening five critical pillars of a health system:
human resources for health, supply chain management, health
care financing, governance and service delivery, and
infrastructure. This report describes the changing landscape
of eHealth initiatives through these five pillars, with a
geographic focus on Sub-Saharan Africa. This report further
details seven criteria, or prerequisites, that must be
considered and addressed in order to effectively establish
and scale up ICT-based solutions in the health sector. These
criteria include infrastructure, data and interoperability
standards, local capacity, policy and regulatory
environments, an appropriate business model, alignment of
partnerships and priorities, and monitoring and evaluation.
In order to bring specific examples of these criteria to
light, this report concludes with 12 specific case studies
of potentially scalable ICT-based health care solutions
currently being implemented across the globe at community...

Fonte: Social Science Research Network (SSRN)Publicador: Social Science Research Network (SSRN)

Tipo: Contributions to ConferencesFormato: Online

ENG

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In this paper, we characterize and compare, using most recent official macro-economic data, the evolution of the Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) industry of the major global players in ICT: China, the European Union (EU), Japan, Korea, Taiwan and the USA. The ICT industry includes IT and telecom hardware manufacturers, telecom operators and software and computer service firms. It provides technologies and solutions necessary for the development of the digital economy and society. This analysis is particularly relevant for policy makers since the ICT industry and ICT-enabled innovation make an increasingly important contribution to economic growth. Our research is part of the policy support provided by JRCIPTS to the Directorate General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology of the European Commission (DG CNECT).; JRC.J.3-Information Society

The most significant technological challenge after a major humanitarian disaster is the rapid deployment of information and communications technologies (ICT) for initial responders. Reliance on ICTparticularly wireless communicationsis essential to a coordinated response, particularly in international disasters due to the large number and diversity of responding organizations. Therefore, choosing the most effective ICT systems for disaster response is a critical factor for ensuring success of the response effort. This research will provide background information related to selecting rapidly deployable ICT resources for disaster responders by exploring U.S. policy, worldwide disaster trends, and U.S. government responses. In addition, this thesis will evaluate ICT challenges that are unique to the post-disaster environment and identify essential characteristics of rapidly deployable ICT systems. Finally, this research will develop a quantifiable methodology based on essential characteristics to evaluate and compare commercially-available ICT systems in order to identify systems best suited for the disaster environment. Revelations will contribute to potential policy recommendations and follow-on research that will facilitate determination of the best ICT options...

One of the most significant technological challenges after major humanitarian disasters is the rapid deployment of information and communications technologies (ICT) for initial responders. Reliance on ICT -- particularly wireless communications -- is essential to a coordinated response. This is especially true in international disasters due to the large number and diversity of responding organizations. Therefore, choosing the most effective ICT systems for disaster response is a critical factor for ensuring success of the response effort. This paper proposes a method to select and rapidly deploy ICT resources for disaster responsers by evaluating ICT challenges that are unique to the post-disaster environment and identifying essential characteristics of rapidly deployable ICT systems. Further, the authors will develop a quantifiable methodology based on essential characteristics to evaluate and compare commercially-available ICT systems in order to identify technologies best suited for the disaster environment. Revelations will contribute to potential policy recommendations and follow-on research that will facilitate determination of the best ICT options, resulting in more effective cooperative utilization of these technologies to improve post-disaster responsiveness.

Under what conditions can information
and communications technologies (ICTs) enhance the
well-being of poor communities? The paper designs an
alternative evaluation framework (AEF) that applies
Sen's capability approach to the study of ICTs in order
to place people's well-being, rather than technology at
the center of the study. The AEF develops an impact chain
that examines the mechanisms by which access to, and
meaningful use of, ICTs can enhance peoples,
'informational capabilities' and can lead to
improvements in people's human and social capabilities.
This approach thus uses peoples human capabilities, rather
than measures of access or usage, as its principal
evaluative space. Based on empirical evidence from rural
communities uses of ICTs in Bolivia, the study concludes
that enhancing people's informational capabilities is
the most critical factor determining the impact of ICTs on
their well-being. The findings indicate that improved
informational capabilities, like literacy, do enhance the
human capabilities of the poor and marginalized to make
strategic life choices to achieve the lifestyle they value.
Evaluating the impact of ICTs in terms of capabilities thus
reveals that there is no direct relationship between
improved access to...

On January 18, 2011, the Arab
Development Summit Youth Forum met in Sharm-el-Sheikh,
Egypt, aiming to provide young Arab leaders and Information
and Communications Technologies (ICT) entrepreneurs with the
opportunity for dialogue with Arab decision makers,
providing recommendations on how to empower youth in Middle
East and North Africa (MENA) through ICT. Tunisia's
Jasmine revolution and its aftermath highlighted demand from
youth for good governance. Access to information, freedom of
expression and overall economic opportunities, ranked
highest among the priorities articulated by youth-led Arab
movements for change. The issue of youth employment is key
to inclusive development in MENA which has the youngest
population (average age 23 years) together with the highest
global youth unemployment rate. While demand for ICT has
been increasing dramatically, there is a regional youth
digital divide. Mobile penetration is high but only 1.6
percent of the population has internet access. Addressing
challenges on the supply-side and the demand-side can enable
youth to reap the benefits of ICT.

Innovative use of information and
communications technologies to inexpensively process a large
volume of small transactions and deliver a wide range of
financial services may help to make microfinance
institutions (MFIs) more efficient and commercial banks more
interested in serving poor people. Falling hardware costs
and growing support infrastructure are making these
technologies increasingly available. From 1999 to 2004, the
number of mobile subscribers in Africa grew from 7.5 million
to 76.8 million. Besides reducing delivery costs for banks,
poor people may ultimately prefer using these channels
because they are inexpensive and convenient. Many who are
unbanked now may gain access to financial services for the
first time. In a recent CGAP survey, 62 financial
institutions in 32 countries report using technology
channels, such as automated teller machines (ATMs), point of
sale (POS) card readers, and mobile phones, to handle
transactions for poor customers. Some are using new
technology to better serve existing customers; others hope
to reach new clients in areas where setting up a bank branch
may be too costly. In Brazil...

With some 6 billion mobile subscriptions
in use worldwide, around three-quarters of the world's
inhabitants now have access to a mobile phone. Mobiles are
arguably the most ubiquitous modern technology: in some
developing countries, more people have access to a mobile
phone than to a bank account, electricity, or even clean
water. Mobile communications now offer major opportunities
to advance human development from providing basic access to
education or health information to making cash payments to
stimulating citizen involvement in democratic processes. The
developing world is 'more mobile' than the
developed world. In the developed world, mobile
communications have added value to legacy communication
systems and have supplemented and expanded existing
information flows. However, the developing world is
following a different, 'mobile first' development
trajectory. Many mobile innovations such as multi-SIM card
phones, low-value recharges, and mobile payments have
originated in poorer countries and are spreading from there.
New mobile applications that are designed locally and rooted
in the realities of the developing world will be much better
suited to addressing development challenges than
applications transplanted from elsewhere. In particular...

Broadcasting can have a significant part
to play in the fight to reduce global poverty. At least 77
percent of the world's population is estimated to be
within easy access of broadcast technology (compared to
perhaps 4 percent for the Internet), broadcast services are
easily accessible by the illiterate and those that speak
minority languages. Broadcast operations have been proven
sustainable even in low income rural areas. They can play an
important role in information transfer (conveying crop
prices and employment opportunities, for example). They have
played an important role in a range of development
projects-including interactive radio instruction, where they
have been found to be a highly cost effective intervention.
Access to broadcast technologies also has been found to
correlate with improved access to government services.
Convergence of information and communications technologies
(ICT) is allowing broadcast services to be provided over
telecommunications networks and Internet services to use
broadcast systems. Differentiating broadcast and
telecommunications is becoming increasingly anachronistic...

The formulation, adoption, and transformation of policy
involves the interaction of actors as they negotiate, accept, and
reject proposals. Traditional studies of policy discourse focus
on social actors. By studying cryptography policy discourses, I
argue that considering both social and technological actors in
detail enriches our understanding of policy discourse.
The case-based research looks at the various cryptography
policy strategies employed by the governments of the United
States of America and the United Kingdom. The research
method is qualitative, using hermeneutics to elucidate the
various actors’ interpretations. The research aims to
understand policy discourse as a contest of principles involving
various government actors advocating multiple regulatory
mechanisms to maintain their surveillance capabilities, and the
reactions of industry actors, non-governmental organisations,
parliamentarians, and epistemic communities.
I argue that studying socio-technological discourse helps us to
understand the complex dynamics involved in regulation and
regulatory change. Interests and alignments may be contingent
and unstable. As a result, technologies can not be regarded as
mere representations of social interests and relationships.
By capturing the interpretations and articulations of social and
technological actors we may attain a better understanding of
the regulatory landscape for information and communications
technologies.

This thesis investigates the degree to which our everyday conceptions of 'place' have
changed in contemporary society, especially in relation to the use of information and
communications technologies (ICTs). The empirical evidence is a case study of 20
low-income families who live in Santiago, Chile. These families had just moved to a
new social housing estate from the shantytowns and/or situations of extreme
overcrowding.
The first section of the thesis examines how their conceptions of 'place' have
changed as a result of the move. On the one hand, it is difficult for them to perceive
the housing estate as a 'place' with the same characteristics as their former home
environments (close social networks, common history, etc.) due to a difficult and still
incomplete adaptation. On the other hand, their social exclusion, especially
demonstrated in terms of their limited spatial mobility, means that their everyday life
still unfolds in a limited and relatively static number of places. In these circumstances
they develop a minimal concept of place based not on an emotional attachment to a
space, but rather on particular practices located in certain time and space. This
concept of place is labelled here as 'localities of practices'.
The second part of the thesis examines how these 'localities of practices' are
becoming increasingly 'mediated...